Armor piercing projectile construction

ABSTRACT

A firearm projectile including a penetrating central body, a tip at the forward end of the body. An outer encasement component around a portion of the central body. A displacement shroud around the outer encasement arranged to provide force specific energy transfer and projectile stabilization during integral flight from a firearm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field

This invention relates to ammunition, specifically ammunition used insmall arms having armor piercing capabilities.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art armor piercing projectiles have been developed for use on avariety of weapons specifically by the military in a number of userspecific requirements. Such military projectiles use a depleted uraniumcore due to its dense properties. Examples of projectile ammunition canalso be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,166, 6,105,506, 7,520,224, and U.S.Pat. 8,161,886.

In U.S. Pat. 5,009,166 is directed to a low cost penetrator projectilehaving a hard metal core with a hollow conical shape formed from lowcarbon steel in a series of progressive dies to achieve a Rockwellhardness of C50 and C55.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,506 claims a bullet body and an nonrotable sabotslug for shotguns with a jacketed bullet with a forward end hollow pointand a metal sabot that comes in contact with the rifling in the gunbarrel.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,224 discloses an advanced armor piercing projectilehaving a precision machine outer and inner component. The innercomponent is of a higher density than the outer and higher than that ofarmor plate such as tungsten.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,886 is directed to a short magnum shot shellcartridge and firing assembly wherein a sabot retaining shot shellcartridge chamber has a sub-caliber projectile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An armor piercing projectile cartridge having a composite penetrationcore of hardened steel within a steel jacket formed socket. Astabilization sabot of synthetic resin material with elastic base insertsurrounds the jacketed composite projectile defining a twelve-gaugearmor piercing projectile within a cartridge hull having a propellantand primer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of the composite armor piercingprojectile cartridge of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view of the composite armor piercingprojectile during deployment.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the composite armor piercing projectile.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the composite armor piercing cartridge.

FIG. 6 is an exploded assembly view of the composite armor piercingprojectile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a composite armor piercingprojectile cartridge 10 of the invention can be seen which is adapted tobe fired in an appropriate gauge firearm F. The composite armor piercingcartridge 10 comprises a cylindrical hollow cartridge hull 11 with abrass head 12 and a center primer 13 with a propellant charge 14 as willbe well understood by those skilled in the art. The cylindrical hull 11has an open end front portion 11A which is crimped inwardly at 11Aaround its free edge to retain the composite projectile and sabot aswill be discussed hereinafter and a base portion 11B closed by the brasshead 12. The cartridge hull 11 is typically made of synthetic resinplastic or treated cardboard as is commonly used within the art.

A composite projectile assembly 10 of the invention is capable ofpenetrating AR500 grade designated armor plate AP graphicallyillustrated for reference purposes in broken lines in FIG. 2 of thedrawings. The projectile assembly comprising a bi-metal projectile 16, asabot 26, a resilient seat insert 18 and a contoured synthetic resinseparation wad 19.

The bi-metal projectile 16 has a monolithic cylindrical body member 20with a conical engagement end portion 20A and oppositely disposed baseend surface 20B. The projectile 16 is formed of hardened steel which inthis example 4142 steel hardened C58/62 and is illustrated as atwelve-gauge shell dimension.

The projectile 16 conical engagement end portion 20A is of a length L1greater than that of its overall length indicated at L2 in FIG. 2 of thedrawings.

It will be evident that dimensional variances are not limited to thepreferred embodiment designation, but can vary depending on applicationuser venue.

A steel projectile jacket 21 encases the cylindrical portion of theoverall body member 20 forming a projectile receiving pocket 22 thereinhaving a uniform continuous upstanding integrated sidewall 23 and a base24 of increased dimensional thickness in comparison thereto.

The sidewall 23 has a free annular upper edge 25 tapered to beaerodynamically compliant with the conical end portion 20A of theprojectile 16, when assembled. The composite assembly bi-metalprojectile 16 and jacket 21 is in turn fitted within the stabilizationsabot 26 made from plastic, in this example, defining a shroudthereabout. The sabot 26 has an annular sidewall 26A with multiplespaced cuts C thereabout, an offset annular base 26B of increaseddimension mass. The sabot 26 will thus support and stabilize thecomposite bi-metal projectile 16 during its initial flight and thenseparate and split open as seen in FIG. 6 of the drawings induced by thesabot velocity for deployment.

Referring back now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the resilient seat insert18 within the sabot 26 engaged by the composite bi-metal projectile 16is formed from a synthetic/rubber material and is of an annular diskshape with oppositely disposed planar surfaces 18A and 18B. Theresilient seat insert 18, as noted, is fitted in the sabot 26 prior tothe composite projectile 16 insertion to form a shock cushion thereto asthe cartridges fire prior to sabot separation deployment, as noted.

The contoured cartridge wad 19, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6 of thedrawings, abuts the bottom of the sabot 17 during cartridge assemblyhaving an oppositely disposed spaced concave surface 19A effacing thecartridge propellant charge 14 which in this application is smokelessgun powder infilling the remaining hull interior area in direct contactwith the hereinbefore described cartridge primer 13.

The armor piercing projectile cartridge 10 will therefore provide foroptimum ballistic performance co-efficiency of the composite bi-metalprojectile 16 for maximum piercing impact with the targeted armor plateAP, as described.

It will thus be seen that a new and novel composite armor piercingcartridge 10 of the invention has been illustrated and described and itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. Therefore, I claim:

1. An armor penetrating projectile cartridge comprising, a cylindercartridge hull having an open end in an oppositely disposed brass headclosure, a bi-metal projectile within said cartridge hull having ahardened steel central core and a hardened steel jacket thereabout, saidsteel jacket having a central cylindrical opening partially within, saidbimetal projectile having a cylindrical body portion engaged within saidsteel jacket's central cylindrical opening and a fusto conical portionextending from said steel jacket, a one-piece sabot engaged around andabutting said steel jacket and extending there beyond, a resilient padbetween said steel jacket and sabot, a cartridge wad in abutment withsabot and a propellant in said cartridge hull, said central core havinga higher density than armor plate for penetration thereof.
 2. The armorpiercing projectile cartridge of claim 1 wherein said steel jacket hasan annular sidewall and an integral base of increased dimensionalthickness to that of said sidewall.
 3. The armor piercing projectilecartridge of claim 1 wherein said cartridge wad in abutment with saidsabot has an oppositely disposed concave surface.
 4. The armor piercingprojectile cartridge of claim 1 wherein said one-piece sabot comprises,an annular sidewall, annular spaced cuts in said sidewall, an integralsolid base of a dimensional thickness equal to that of said knowcartridge wad.
 5. The armor piercing projectile cartridge set forth inclaim 2 wherein said steel jacket annular sidewall has a tapered freeedge in angular registration with said central core frustro conicalportion.
 6. The armor piercing projectile cartridge set forth in claim 2wherein said composite bi-metal projectile frustro conical portion endis in planar alignment with said sabot's annular sidewall upper freeedge.
 7. The armor piercing projectile set forth in claim 1 wherein saidcylinder cartridge hull has a crimped free annular open end engagingsaid sabot.
 8. An armor penetrating firearm projectile comprises, incombination, a cylindrical outer hull, a bi-metal projectile within saidhull comprising a hardened steel center core and a hardened steel jacketpartially there about, a sabot having a face and an integral upstandingsidewall receiving said bi-metal projectile, a resilient pad betweensaid steel jacket and sabot base, a cartridge was in abutment with saidsabot, a propellant and primer in said hull in communication with saidwad, said steel center core having a fusto conical target engagement endportion.